If you're looking to relive the nostalgic games of your childhood, there are many options available. You can hack an existing piece of hardware or even build one yourself. This weekend, put together the ultimate retro gaming system of your choice with almost any hardware you want.

So you can focus on the part of this post that matters to you, it has been separated by hardware type. If you want to turn your Android phone or tablet into a retro gaming machine, head to that section. If you want to use your Nintendo DS, skip over Android and jump to that part of the post. If you're not sure, read 'em all. It's up to you.

Android and iOS

Your mobile phone is a great gaming device, but if you want to play emulated retro games you need to do a bit of work to get it there. We have a big, comprehensive guide to help you out, so give that a read if you're looking to dive into emulation on your mobile phone or tablet. It'll show you how to do everything from emulate your favorite games on several systems to using a physical controller for a better experience.

Build or Buy Your Own Emulation-Oriented Hardware

You don't necessarily have to hack together a solution if you want to play retro games. Instructables user HeDoesNotBehave built his own so he could play a few select retro games. Although not a comprehensive option, it seems like an incredibly cheap solution to get your hands on the real classics. Alternatively, you can buy devices that are specifically designed for emulated games. ThinkGeek sells plenty of these devices, such as the retro portable S/NES system (which actually plays the real games and doesn't require emulation at all). Alternatively, there's the Dingoo Digital A320 and A330 which are capable of emulating several different consoles out of the box. I used to use an A320 as my main emulation device but have since moved on to an Android tablet. While it handles most games beautifully, the little quirks got annoying (like the finicky power switch) and made me eventually switch. That said, it's a very cheap option and a way to get started if you don't want to do too much hacking.